Archaeologists led by Frédéric Payraudeau discovered 225 faience shabti arranged in a star at Tanis; many bear a cartouche that names Pharaoh Shoshenq III. Although Shoshenq built a larger tomb in the city, his remains were found in a smaller burial that belonged to Osorkon II. Scholars suspect his successor, Shoshenq IV, may have moved the body to claim the grander monument, and the high number of female shabti is an unusual and revealing detail.
225 Faience Shabti Reveal Pharaoh Shoshenq III Was Buried In The Wrong Tomb
Experts Found an Egyptian Tomb—With the Wrong BodySW Photography - Getty Images
Archaeologists at the royal necropolis of Tanis have uncovered a startling clue about a Late Period Egyptian burial: a cache of 225 faience shabti arranged in a star pattern that name Pharaoh Shoshenq III — even though his mummy was found in a different, smaller tomb than the larger monument that bears his name.
Discovery at Tanis
Led by Egyptologist Frédéric Payraudeau, the team uncovered 225 faience shabti placed exactly as they would have been when their master was buried. The figurines were arranged in a distinct star formation rather than stored in the inscribed wood-and-plaster boxes typical of the period. Many of the shabti bear a cartouche — the oval frame used to enclose royal names — that identifies Shoshenq III (also spelled Sheshonq III).
What Are Shabti?
Shabti (also ushabti or shawbti) are small funerary figurines inscribed with spells intended to perform labor for the deceased in the afterlife. Originally reserved for royalty, they became widely available after the introduction of molded faience shabti. The Tanis figures are glazed in bluish-green faience, a color associated with death and the god Osiris. Unusually, more than half of the 225 represent women — a detail that suggests the king may have been served by many female attendants in life or that workshops produced a broader workforce of figurines for burial rites.
The Wrong Tomb?
Although Shoshenq III’s name appears on the walls of a larger tomb he built at Tanis, his mummy and the star-arranged shabti were interred in a smaller, narrow tomb that originally belonged to Osorkon II. Scholars now propose that Shoshenq III’s successor, Shoshenq IV, may have transferred the earlier king’s remains into the smaller burial while appropriating the grander monument for himself. Ancient Egypt has other precedents for posthumous reburials tied to political rivalry — for example, the contested burials following Tutankhamun’s death.
Why This Matters
The find clarifies the occupant of an otherwise unnamed sarcophagus and illuminates how political disputes could affect burial practice. The unusually high number of female shabti adds nuance to our understanding of Late Period funerary customs and workforce representation in mortuary assemblages. Together, the cartouche inscriptions, material analysis (faience), and the unusual arrangement make this discovery an important piece in reconstructing Tanis's royal history.
Key Facts: 225 faience shabti; cartouche names Shoshenq III; star-shaped arrangement; more than half of the figurines depict women; burial placed in a tomb associated with Osorkon II.
